


Disentangled (The Freedom's Just Another Word Remix)

by inksheddings



Category: Loveless
Genre: Other, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Underage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-25
Updated: 2015-06-25
Packaged: 2018-04-06 02:17:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4204152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inksheddings/pseuds/inksheddings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soubi couldn't help but feel some distress at the fact that he had, technically, failed Seimei. Even more distressing, Soubi wasn't sure how much that failure to obey actually mattered.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Disentangled (The Freedom's Just Another Word Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Moontyger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moontyger/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Ensnared](https://archiveofourown.org/works/75597) by [Moontyger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moontyger/pseuds/Moontyger). 



> Thank you, **Moontyger,** for allowing me the great pleasure of revisiting a well-loved (and missed) old fandom of mine.
> 
> I find Loveless hopelessly difficult to tag/warn. I hope the three additional tags I chose cover the issues well enough. Please note, however, that nothing is explicitly revisited, but Soubi's past directly affects his present so I felt it necessary to include the tags. Just to be safe.
> 
> And huge thanks to the best beta on the planet. *hugs*

**Disentangled (The Freedom's Just Another Word Remix)**

 

 

_"You're too obvious."_

 

"Soubi, stop that," Ritsuka said, slapping Soubi's hand away from his ears. But Ritsuka wasn't yelling and didn't move from his spot in the grass or push Soubi away. So Soubi allowed himself, once again, the pleasure of the silky feel of Ritsuka's ears between his fingers. 

It was a beautiful day, bright and clear. The park was quiet and appealing to them both, the sun warm enough that the grass was dry against their backs where they lay, and Ritsuka's cheeks were flushed. 

Irresistible. 

Soubi propped himself up on an elbow so he could better reach the top of Ritsuka's head.

Ritsuka took a deep, frustrated breath and narrowed his eyes as he looked up at Soubi. "Would you like me to roll over onto my stomach so you can pet my tail as well?" 

"Yes, please," Soubi answered, truthfully.

Ritsuka still didn't hit him or push him away, but he yelled loud enough to scare off all the birds within at least 200 feet.

 

*****

 

_"A fighter must not resist the orders of his Sacrifice."_

 

Ritsuka's emotions were always right there, plain to see, if you knew how to look for them. His cheeks, from pale to pink when he was embarrassed or to bright red when he was angry. His head held high when he was frustrated or enraged on someone else's behalf. Soubi could always tell when Ritsuka didn't want his emotions to show, when he didn't want Soubi to know.

Like now, the far-too-pale skin of his face marred by a bruise—small and barely there, easy enough to miss if you didn't know a thing about his mother—near the corner of his left eye. 

Standing in front of Ritsuka's house, Soubi looked toward the closed door and willed terrible things. 

"Soubi, please. Let's just go," Ritsuka pleaded quietly. 

It wasn't even an order, not really. Soubi didn't move. 

"Soubi, let's go!" Ritsuka said a little louder while taking Soubi's hand within his own. But there was still something not quite right about his tone of voice. Soubi wanted to go inside Ritsuka's house and leave bruises upon Aoyagi Misaki that would never fade away, not like the one Ritsuka now carried, the one he was trying so hard to pretend wasn't even there. 

Soubi took a step toward the house. It wouldn't take long at all, and Ritsuka would be free; Soubi would take care of him like he'd promised and— 

"Soubi! Don't be an idiot! We're leaving now!" Ritsuka yelled, tugging on his hand and pulling him away from the door.

Soubi sighed, and his eyes stayed on the door for a few seconds longer, but he allowed himself to be manhandled down the sidewalk. 

Several minutes later, he couldn't help but smile and lean down to whisper in Ritsuka's ear. "You're still holding my hand."

Ritsuka shoved him away hard enough that he nearly tripped off the sidewalk and into the street. Soubi just smiled wider. An order was an order, after all.

 

*****

 

_"Never give the appearance of wanting to disobey."_

 

Seimei's instructions, that Soubi love Ritsuka and care for him in his absence, had been easy to follow. As soon as the words fell from Seimei's lips, Soubi allowed Ritsuka into his heart. It didn't matter that they hadn't actually met, had never spoken a word to one another. 

And yet . . . 

"Soubi, use your napkin. You're getting your ice cream all over yourself instead of inside your mouth where it belongs," Ritsuka chastised, throwing one of his own napkins onto Soubi's lap.

"Mmhmm, and it's so very good," Soubi said. "Do you want a taste?" he asked, holding his wrist out to Ritsuka, one small drop of ice cream already melting against his skin.

Ritsuka's ears flattened against his head and he grabbed Soubi's arm, pushing it away. "Taste it yourself, if it's so good. And use the napkin!"

"Yes, Ritsuka."

And yet Soubi hadn't realized how badly he'd failed Seimei, thinking it would be so simple to love Ritsuka just because his Sacrifice had told him that he must. Soubi had loved Seimei, and so he'd tried, and believed he'd succeeded even before he first spoke to Ritsuka outside his school. But he'd been wrong to think he could truly love someone under those circumstances.

"Ahh, Soubi, why are you so hopeless?" Ritsuka picked up the napkin and roughly dabbed the ice cream off of Soubi's wrist and hand. 

Beloved, Loveless . . . hopeless.

Soubi only realized how much he had failed Seimei's orders when he hopelessly and irrevocably fell in love with Ritsuka during the time they spent together. Soubi discovered there was a difference between loving because you are supposed to and loving because you want to. 

One could argue that in the end, yes, he followed Seimei's orders and loved Ritsuka, heart and soul. But Soubi couldn't help but feel some distress at the fact that he had, technically, failed Seimei. Even more distressing, Soubi wasn't so sure how much that that failure to obey actually mattered. 

 

*****

 

_"Show me how well you've learned your lessons."_

 

Ritsuka's hands in his hair felt like the kind of magic Soubi wasn't capable of—gentle, cautious, precious.

"I don't feel anything," Ritsuka said. "Where your ears must have been, it's smooth. No scars?"

Soubi closed his eyes against the memory but couldn't hold back the slight shudder that ran through his body. 

"So," Ritsuka said, smoothing Soubi's hair down where his fingers had messed it up. "Different types of scars then." Ritsuka's eyes were kind with the sort of understanding Soubi wished—for his Sacrifice's sake—he didn't have. 

Soubi could not honestly claim that he hadn't learned anything important from Ritsu-sensei, as much as he might like to deny it. He'd learned to be the best Fighter, for both Seimei and Ritsuka, and Ritsu's "lessons" had a lot to do with that. 

But the lesson that Soubi chose for himself, the one he was still learning, was sitting next to him in Soubi's living room, biting his lip and about to remove his hands from Soubi's hair. 

Soubi leaned into his touch, asking without words for Ritsuka to continue his questioning touches. So curious to know more about Soubi now that they were building a trust. Soubi reached out with both his hands and touched Ritsuka's ears, feeling the soft fur between his fingers. "I like your ears," he said, hoping Ritsuka understood that he wasn't teasing this time, that he meant it—that he meant no harm, no cruel lessons, not if he could help it.

Ritsuka blushed, as adorably as ever, but didn't hit Soubi, or yell at him, or call him an idiot. Soubi laughed, hoping this lesson would last long enough for both of them to learn all it had to offer.

 

**end**


End file.
